If you’ve already used our home buying services then congrats on your newest investment! We’re thrilled that you chose us to assist you in the process and we want to continue to make sure that you get the most out of your new home, even after the transaction has ended. That’s why for this blog we’re giving you five common mistakes new homeowners make so you can avoid them and enjoy your new home to the fullest!

• Mistake #1: Keeping the Sellers’ Design

While we encourage sellers to remove all personal items, some staging is necessary in selling the home. For example they might still have a crib up in a nursery or a desk in the room that was designated as an office, but that doesn’t mean that you have to keep them that way. Maybe they made the huge lower level a game room or play area for their kids but you have a teenager that wants to live like an adult with an apartment-styled room – do it! Just because a home was sold to you with certain rooms designated as certain things doesn’t mean you have to keep them that way. (There are of course a few exceptions according to our source, like the kitchen, master bedroom, and bathrooms of course.)

• Mistake #2: Playing It Safe

However, even with those few exceptions, you don’t have to keep the flooring or the countertops if you don’t want to – that’s playing it safe. Remember when you weren’t allowed to paint the walls, add a backsplash to the kitchen, or add tiling around your bathtub in that rental or apartment you had? Well, you don’t have a landlord to answer to now! You can paint that accent wall in the living room, add the backsplash of your choice to the kitchen, or add tiling to match the bathroom floor around the bathtub! You can do whatever you want in your newest investment and we encourage you to do so in order to make it feel more like your own.

• Mistake #3: Rushing Your Design Process

            We do suggest being a little quicker with the move-in process simply because you don’t want to be living out of boxes and bags for the first half of your life in your new home. But as far as the design process goes – there’s no rush. Hopefully you bought this home to live in for a long period of time so you want to make sure you find pieces that you love and that are characteristically “YOU”. Otherwise, if you buy pieces just because they are on sale and you need them at the time, it might never feel like home.

• Mistake #4: Forgetting the Exterior

            If you were in an apartment complex or renting a room in somebody else’s home, chances are you didn’t have much of an outdoor space or an exterior to worry about. But now you do! You’ll have to remember to keep your driveways and walkways shoveled (in the winter) and maybe start up the hobby of gardening in the spring and summer. Make sure the paint on your home isn’t chipping and the gutter stay clear but don’t forget about the fun stuff too! If you have a porch or patio consider what things you’ll need to have some great parties and BBQs in the warmer months. Being a new homeowner does take some work but it should be fun too. Also, don’t forget that you want to take pride in being a new homeowner and the first impression is made about the outside of the home! You’ll want a good one!

• Mistake #5: Procrastinating the Little Things

While hopefully you did a walkthrough and took care of little problems with the sellers (like roof leaks, or cracks in certain windows for example) there still might be other little problems that arise. While you were renting you probably had a maintenance staff that you could call for these types of things, but now as a homeowner, you must take care of them yourself. Do your research and ask around for the best handyman for whatever the job may be. If you think you can fix it yourself – don’t rush it. Do as much research as you can before attempting it yourself and don’t procrastinate. Little problems can turn into bigger ones faster than you think!

Hopefully you’ll be able to tackle each of these mistakes in your own way or avoid them all together! There were probably tons of restrictions while you were renting, but remember – there ALL gone now! This home is yours that you should do with as you please! We hope this blog has you feeling more comfortable at taking on the title of new homeowner and more excited than ever at making your home yours.

Happy Home-owning!

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Until Next Time,

Jim